After Twelve Years
by Fay Waters
Summary: *spoilers for 6.22* A multi-chapter of the developments (and perhaps) problems of Jane and Lisbon's relationship. General predictions for season 7, rather than hopes. It may be fluff, but it is certainly not hopeless. JISBON
1. Chapter 1

A/N: As I said in the description, this fic is basically my predictions for season 7. I've really tried my utmost best to follow the path of what the characters would do, rather than what _I _would like them to do. Then again, maybe I'm not achieving this? COMMENT! Let me know what you think whether it is positive or not! However, I do ask that you carry your thoughts out with respect and I can see what I can do to improve. I'll probably do about three or four more chapters, of course it depends on the reviews though.

But I really have put a lot of effort into this, seeing as it is my first fanfic. I had (and still do have) so many feels for that finale, I had to do something about it. And I just felt that I should do something with the hiatus...

ENJOY

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Lisbon wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Just the sight of him calmed her down somewhat, the picture of same-old Jane arrested yet again. But things were different this time. Things had been said. Things that had been withheld for twelve years. This time he had been upfront and she needed to be as well.

Jane was sitting on the opposite side of a table evidently lost in thought. She noticed his right hand placed lightly on his lips, a gesture she knew he was purely carrying out for the purpose of looking at ease- which meant one thing. He wasn't at ease.

His shoeless right leg was uplifted onto another chair, and she couldn't help but smile when she saw that he was wearing the socks she had bought him. She actually hadn't seen him without the socks since she handed them over to him. She made a mental note of that, and turned her eyes to his angular face.

He hadn't looked up when she walked in; he'd made absolutely no reaction. So she carefully sat down at the other side of the table, which got him to look up. At first making eye contact with him, she saw relief flash though them, which disappeared as soon as it came. Reflexes of a con, she guessed. But then his eye contact was steady, comforting even - a sign that he was serious, which gave her the courage to speak first.

"Hey"

"Hi," he said as the edges of his lips curled up a little.

"This is another fine pickle you've gotten yourself in, huh?" she wanted to start the conversation lightly, telling him that whatever she might say next, she was no longer mad at him. He seemed to pick up this message as he had relaxed a little, which was an unsettling gesture seeing as that was one of the few times Lisbon had ever seen him stressed.

"Eh, I've seen worse, pickle-wise." His tone was a lot more soothing than his usual, bright, yet not bothered tone. It was a lot more... authentic.

She smiled. "Yes, you have." She wanted to ask him about his speech the previous night, but courtesy got the better of her. "How's the ankle?"

He replied immediately, an automatic machine response. "Mm, it's fine." He obviously wanted to save the chit-chat, and she was glad when he cut right to what was on his mind. "You didn't go to DC."

Lisbon realised it was an observation rather than a question.

"No," she stated simply. She realised he hadn't broken their gaze once throughout their conversation, not even to look at the rest of her being – just her eyes. She met his intense gaze, for it wasn't very difficult. It would rather be described as intoxicating. She couldn't get enough of his eyes... Especially now she knew with absolute certain, the man with those lovely ocean blue eyes was smitten for her. It was a selfish thought, but she loved the giddy feeling she got inside of her head when she relished over this.

There was a pregnant pause. Lisbon figured this was as good an opportunity as any to say it. She swallowed hard.

"Did you mean what you said?"

"Yes, I did," he said without pausing.

Relief flooded her veins. She wasn't relieved because she didn't believe him the first time; she was relieved because he didn't try to cover it up. He didn't try to make an excuse like he did after he let the "L" word slip a few years back when he was pretending to shoot her to get to Red John. Which meant that he had confronted his feelings and had accepted them. Accepted that he wanted a serious relationship with her. This was progress.

"Good"

"Just to be clear, we're talking about pickles, right?" Of course Jane couldn't get by a single conversation without sarcasm.

"No. No, the other thing," Lisbon jokingly said.

"Oh! That..." he said as if he found the previous night's events difficult to remember. Dodging airport security, jumping over an 11-foot fence and breaking his ankle, declaring his eternal love for a woman he'd been in love with for over a decade and then getting arrested – of course he was joking. She understood that he wanted to make this situation light in case Lisbon rejected him.

"This is no joking matter," Lisbon said. Of course, she knew he knew this; she just wanted to set some boundaries.

"Yes," his gaze still incredibly intense. "I meant what I said, every word of it."

Lisbon's heart did a flip. "Good," she croaked out. This was what she hoped and dreamed for – the day that Jane declares his love for her _without_ denial. Which meant only one thing was left on her part. "Because I feel the same way."

Time seemed to stop as Jane came to terms with what she had just said. But there was an immediate reaction- he was smiling. A beautiful, genuine grin than relaxed all his facial muscles. In that moment he seemed to have lost the tenseness in his posture too.

"Well that's lucky," he laughed, evidently relieved. He was still grinning and she grinned back at him because they were talking. Talking about what they had avoided and masked for years. There was an unfamiliar shyness and vulnerability about their exchanged smiles, but it was exciting too.

But Jane had a sharp mind and immediately saw the flaw. His face dropped considerably.

"What about Pike?"

Lisbon had thought about this. She would have to call him. She hadn't called him already because she needed to hear from Jane that he was serious first. And moments earlier she had received that confirmation.

"He'll understand."

Jane seemed at a loss. She hadn't wanted to break a good man's heart, but she would've done that either way. The difference was, she was in love with only one of them, and that man was sitting right in front of her. It dawned on her that they were practically an item now. And she had dreamed for years the feel of his touch. She now had the power to touch him, but she wanted him to initiate it.

"Say it again," she said. She wanted him to say that he loved her, which would inevitably end up in some form of physical contact.

"Say what again?"

She pulled a face. He knew _exactly_ what she was asking.

Jane seemed to understand that she wanted touch rather than his words; she was just too awkward about the situation to come straight out and ask him. Because without a word, Jane stood up, standing on his better leg, and leaned his body down over the table, inching his face towards hers. Her heart was pounding. He carefully steadied her face by putting his hand on her chin and inched ever closer. She closed her eyes, cherishing the moment. Her mouth was open before their lips met.

Fireworks went off inside her. Jane's lips delicately brushed over hers and she returned his wonderful pressure. His lips were soft but firm and he tasted like honey and tea and new beginnings. She unconsciously lifted her hand to cup his face, gently stroking his stubble. She heard a faint banging noise somewhere distant but brushed it aside. All she wanted was Jane.

They slowly broke apart, this being their first kiss and all, and he lazily opened his eyes again with a soft smile playing at his beautiful lips. With his body still pressed across the table and his face centimetres away from hers, he gazed happily into her eyes and whispered, "God, I've wanted to do that ever since we met all those years ago."

"How long has it been now?"

"Twelve years," he said immediately.

Unable to help herself, Lisbon bit her lip and grinned. "Twelve years a slave"

Both of them broke into uneasy laughter, releasing a lot of the tension that had built up to this moment.

"Jane," Lisbon said her attention now caught by something else.

"Yeah?" he said still leaning on the table, still _incredibly_ close to her face.

"Um, I hate to say this, but, you should sit down"

"Sit down?" he was very certainly in a daze.

"Your foot - the sprained one – it's shaking," she said pointing, indeed, to a shaking foot, probably due to his blood circulation being cut off.

Jane glanced around him at his foot and laughed, really _laughed_, and slowly sat back down, carefully placing his foot on the adjacent chair.

"You're killing my vibe here, woman," he said quietly amidst his laughs. In that moment she realised how rarely Jane laughed. He _smiled_ a damn lot, but hardly _laughed._ And even the few times he did, sound was never a component. She'd definitely need to change something about that, because God, his laugh sounded glorious.

"Hey! I'm just concerned for your well-being," Lisbon said lightly, standing up and walking around the table. "And anyway we'll have a lot more time for that," she said in a significantly softer tone.

"We will!?" Jane immediately straightened up as she approached.

"We'll see," she said coyly.

Jane looked surprised when she carefully lifted his foot off the chair, and while still holding it, sat on the chair, delicately replacing it on top of her lap. She placed a hand on his foot, drawing small intricate circles with her fingers.

"Oh, and we're going to have to get you some new socks. Wearing a single pair every day mustn't be very hygienic." But he wasn't hearing her; his surprised expression justifying why he thought Lisbon got up.

"Don't give me that look! I do happen to care for your foot," Lisbon said.

"I thought you were getting up to-"

"Well you thought wrong," she said smiling at him cheekily. It's not that she didn't want to kiss him, God, she wanted to kiss him, she just wanted to absorb the fact that a twelve year friendship had turned into a romantic relationship just seconds ago, and didn't want to rush anything. But when she turned to look at his disappointed face, she felt bad.

"Although," she said leaning closer to him, feeling her heartbeat echoing in her ears. Their eyes were glued to each other and she could tell that Jane was having trouble restraining himself as she diminished the space between them as slowly as possible, which made her smirk ever so slightly.

Their lips would've met for the second time that morning, had Special Agent Dennis Abbott not chosen that moment to walk through the door.

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A/N: New chapter out in the next week (perhaps even tomorrow). Again, pease review x


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in such a long time, and my excuses aren't worth your time. But I'd like to add that I've had a really good idea on the direction of this fic, and my ideas go up to {at least} 8 chapters. So let's see how well my thoughts can be converted into words.

*a MASSIVE thank you to everyone that reviewed and followed and favourited, I'm slightly overwhelmed and evermore flattered.

ENJOY

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Lisbon moved away from him as fast as she could and tried her best to straighten up... Which was difficult seeing as Jane's leg was on her lap.

Jane wasn't surprised to see Abbott, and as he observed, neither was Teresa, but he felt the tension in the room rise considerably with the entrance of their supervising agent. Abbott was stuck in the doorway, and as for the woman whose lap held his leg, he couldn't help but notice her embarrassment at the situation. That was just the thing about her- her honesty and humbleness rose higher than the stratosphere. Imaginably, so high, that what a normal person would be embarrassed by, she would find unattainably and uncontrollably shameful. Which was what he initially came to admire about her when they first met... And what he so loved about her all these years later. And, like now, he really couldn't hide his amusement at her care for reputation and formality when it came to work.

Unfortunately, her embarrassment was extremely evident, because from the corner of his eye he could see the intense shade to which her face had turned maroon.

Luckily, Jane could tell that Abbott was pleased, and strangely simultaneously amused. This, Jane found curious.

"I was beginning to think I'd spend my days rotting here," Jane said to Abbott.

"If only I could get rid of you so easily," Abbott said smiling. "The Bureau has a tendency to grab hold of anything that can close cases like you do. Legal liability or not"

"Dennis, you flatter me"

Abbott finally walked forward and sat on the chair that Lisbon had sat on previously.

"Of course, we've granted your freedom. There are just a few consequences and matters we need to discuss. Teresa, you need not sit on this"

Lisbon froze, momentarily startled upon hearing her name. "No, that's okay. I want to be here-" she looked at Jane who steadily looked back. "You know, for support," she said slowly reaching out for his hand as she exhaled. Jane was surprised at this move, and very much startled, but didn't display these emotions. Because what overcame these feelings were those of thankfulness; he knew how difficult it was for her. He returned the pressure of her hand.

Abbott smiled boyishly with his eyebrows raised. "Very well then."

He turned to Jane. "Obviously the TSA is appalled at your actions, as a member of the FBI, that is. But that's why we have lawyers, right?" Jane nodded his head. "So along with them and my devious negotiating skills, you're very much free to walk." He glanced at Jane's raised leg, "or limp."

"Very funny. Now, I heard you use the word "consequences"...?"

"I was just getting there," Abbott said sighing. "So word around here flies around pretty quick-"

He was interrupted by laughter from Lisbon and Jane.

"What?" He said defensively.

Jane and Lisbon looked at each other.

"Sir, did you say that intentionally?" Lisbon asked seriously.

"What on Earth are yo-"

He was interrupted by Jane. "I think we should just get back to what you were saying," he said pityingly.

"Perhaps," Abbott said eyeing the couple sitting opposite him. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, word flies around here prett-"

He paused and then slowly moved his hands to put them on his forehead, smiling. "How very juvenile of the two of you," he said quietly. He said something else following that, but even Jane couldn't hear it. But whatever it was, Jane had the odd feeling that it had to do with the fact that him and Lisbon think alike. How curious.

"I think I'll just get to the point. The TSA has put you on the "no fly list" for the next month." Abbott swiftly raised one of his hands to silence Jane before he could begin speaking. "Now, I want you to know, I have tried my utmost in negotiation, and honest to God, you've broken more than one law that should rightfully have you locked up. So whatever you're about to say, keep that in mind." The short moment's silence gave him a baffled expression.

Abbott's expression turned more confused yet. "You've got nothing to say about that?"

It was Jane's turn to be baffled. "Excuse me?"

"You've got no denial, no snide comment, not a single excuse to make?"

"Do I normally do that?" he asked in a curiously amused tone.

"In abundant quantity," Abbott said raising his eyebrows.

"Um, well, no, I have nothing to say about that."

Abbott leant back in his seat curiously looking on at the pair sitting opposite to him- glancing from Jane, to Lisbon, and back to Jane once again. "Well this is interesting, indeed.

"Perhaps this is the right time to address another issue at hand." He looked at Lisbon. "Teresa, I can't help but notice that you're not in DC. You plan on staying? Withdrawing your transfer?"

Lisbon's cheeks reddened yet again. "If you don't mind"

"We'd love to have you back! Because frankly, I could get used to a Jane like _this_," Abbott added under his breath, yet deliberately loud enough for them to hear him.

Jane nodded his head smiling knowingly, finally comprehending Abbott's views. He did, however, notice Lisbon's confusion, which soon evaporated at the change of subject.

"Now that that's out of the way, I have something else that you need to acknowledge," Abbott said to Jane. "You have put yourself in a lot of crap with the FBI in the past few days. Not only did you manipulate your rights as a Bureau member, but you humiliated us in front of a vast number of people last night. For that reason, our superiors are most certainly not happy with what you did. They simply want you to realise that you put your job on the line and should an incident like this happen again, there will be no next time, Jane. Luckily, you simultaneously granted the Bureau a massive promotion in terms of press with the De Jorio case, ignoring the fact that you pretended to be the killer, the Chief is over the moon. With both those happenings, the super's board agreed a week's suspension would fit as a punishment."

Jane raised his eyebrows. "That's it?"

"That's it," Abbott confirmed.

"And we can leave now?"

"After I fill out the paperwork," he said getting up. "Which should take me five minutes."

Now standing, he paused. "And congratulations, to the two of you," he said seriously, peering at their intertwined fingers. He walked towards the door, and just before opening it he swiftly turned around, as if an afterthought. "It's five minutes. Try and keep your hand off each other." Lisbon immediately let go of Jane's hand. "The TSA officer told me about earlier. Let's try and keep that to a minimum from now on," he smiling. As soon as he shut the door, slumped down in her chair and closed her eyes.

"Oh my God, he did _not_ just say that," she said massaging her temples with her fingers.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad," he said kindly, placing a hand on her back, gently rubbing in circles. While he was doing this, a small part of his mind was bursting from the feeling of her bra strap. He tried his utmost to push the thought aside, but it seemed to consume him. _It really has been long,_ he thought, smiling to himself.

"It really was bad," Lisbon said, her voice muffled from being in her hands.

"If you think about it, he was rather encouraging in a way. It would've been a whole lot worse if he was shouting at us"

Lisbon lifted her head from her hands no longer looking embarrassed, but confused. She bit her bottom lip, which drew Jane's attention to her mouth. Bad idea. Memories of the feeling of those lips on his flooded through him. Their softness and slight hesitation from being on unknown territory... And peaches. She tasted like peaches. He felt his mouth watering at the thought of her lips when another thought occurred to him. He could experience that again; he _would_. For the first time in years, he felt a longing to live, which he hadn't been feeling a few hours earlier. He shivered at the thought.

"Earth to Patrick?"

"Huh?" Jane realised that while he was fantasising, Lisbon had asked him a question. His face softened at another realisation. He almost whispered what he said next. "You said my name"

"What?" she said clearly lost.

Jane started to gaze into her beautiful eyes, which drew him closer to her.

"You never say my name"

"I say your name all the time!" she, too, was unconsciously helping him close the space between them, bit by bit.

Jane shook his head. "You always call me "Jane". I've never heard you say my first name except when you're introducing me to somebody"

"Huh," Lisbon said softly. "I guess I do."

They were too close now. He wanted her so badly. No, _needed _her. Just one more little-

"Jane?" Lisbon said softly.

"Mmm?"

"I'm so sorry. But, but-" he could tell that she wanted him too. "We can't do it here"

He knew what she was getting at, and he appreciated her self control. But he couldn't help his sometimes. "Why would we be doing it here? This room is freezing, and the floor looks really uncomfortable"

It took a second for her to catch onto him, with the sudden change of mood. And when she did, she hit him on the arm.

"Ow!" He exclaimed, laughing, and soon she was laughing too.

Abbott suddenly appeared popping his head around the doorway. "Teresa, I've just phoned the DC office explaining the situation and your withdrawal. Everything's sorted, and the process of getting you back shouldn't take too long."

"Thank you so much, Dennis," Lisbon said with a sigh. Jane knew that it was a small weight off her shoulders. Because an even more daunting phone call lay in her near future.

"When were you supposed to start work in DC?"

"Wednesday"

"Perfect, that should give us enough time to get it set up again and do the paperwork. You can restart work then.

"Okay," Abbott said rubbing his hands together. "Everything is done and dusted; it seems our business in Miami has come to a close. What are you two doing, sitting around? We take off in ten minutes!"

"But I thought you said I was on the "No-Fly List"?" Jane asked.

"For someone with such an incredible memory you seem to forget the simplest of things."

Jane looked at him quizzically.

"The FBI has personal helicopters"

They were approaching the helicopter on the pad at the top of the building and Lisbon was helping Jane walk.

"Just stop for a second," Lisbon whispered into his ear, and he did. She quickly fiddled with one of her earlobes and gasped loud enough for Abbott to turn around.

"You okay?" Abbott asked.

"I think one of my earrings fell out! They were my mother's!"

Abbott looked awkwardly from her to the helicopter. He sighed. "Two minutes"

She started rushing back to the stairwell, but then noticed that Jane wasn't following her.

"Jane!" she called for him desperately. "These were my _mother's_. You know how much they mean to me!"

"Okay, yeah, I'll help you look," he said limping as fast as he could to the stairwell.

They walked down about eight stairs when she stopped.

"Do you think it fell out here?" he asked.

Lisbon's eyebrows rose considerably and she broke out into a massive smile.

"The great Patrick Jane bought that?!"

Jane's face fell.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! I did this partly for you"

"But why-". At that point Jane was startled to be pushed against the wall by Lisbon. Before he could comprehend what was going on, his lips were being crushed by Lisbon's. Lisbon's sweet, sweet lips and their softness and their... Pressure that wasn't there for their previous kiss. He liked it.

They broke apart, and when he opened his eyes he found his hands on her waist and Lisbon on the tips of her toes. Their foreheads were pressed together and she had her hands were warm on his cheeks. She looked him in the eye.

"You ask way too many questions"

And so listening to Lisbon for the first time, he didn't say anything when he pressed his lips against hers again, and when he decided to do something else with his tongue for once. All while this was happening, his heart was somersaulting with pleasure and release.

Lisbon was the one who broke them apart saying, "Our two minutes is up". She let go of his cheeks to straighten her hair which Jane had been stroking. She took out her lip gloss and quickly reapplied it. She turned to Jane. "How do I look?"

"Struck with pleasure upon finding the other half of your mother's earrings," he said lightly touching her dark hair.

Lisbon chuckled, "God, she didn't even like to have things dangling from her ears." She quickly replaced the 'lost' earring.

Jane lightly placed a hand on her cheek and softly kissed her temple, thanking her for everything that he couldn't.

"So now that that's out of our systems," she said smiling, holding out her hand.

"Darling, you'll never be out of my system," he said, thinking that a life with Lisbon was one that was worth it.

He took her hand and together they walked (and limped slightly) back to the helicopter.


End file.
